Fish & Wildlife Service

Bombay Hook

National Wildlife

Refuge

Birds 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

MARCH 3, 1849

U S. . DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

2591 Whitehall Neck Road

Smyrna, DE 19977-6872

Telephone: 302/653 9345

E-mail: FW5RW_BHNWR@FWS.GOV

http://bombayhook.fws.gov

Federal Relay Service

for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

1 800/877 8339

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov

June 2002

Black-necked stilts

Bryan Feyock
Bombay Hook National Wildlife

Refuge lies low and flat on the 

Atlantic Coastal Plain along the

western shore of Delaware Bay. 

Nearly three-fourths of its almost 

16,000 acres spreads out into tidal

salt marsh and cordgrass meadows

interrupted by winding rivers and

creeks. Away from the bay and 

marsh are man-made freshwater

ponds called impoundments. 

Upland woods, swamps, brushy

thickets, grassy fields, and 

croplands complete the diversity

of habitat which attracts a wide

variety of bird life.

Look for greatest numbers of

waterfowl during March and

November. Shorebirds, wading 

birds and songbirds are most

abundant during May, August

and September. 

This goose, designed by

J.N. “Ding” Darling, has

become the symbol of the

National Wildlife Refuge

System.

This brochure lists 278 species that have been identified on

or seen from the refuge, and is in accordance with the

seventh American Ornithologists Union Checklist. A list of

approximately 70 accidental birds (seen at intervals of 5 or

more years) is available on request.

Most birds are migratory, therefore, their seasonal

occurrence is coded as follows:

Season

Sp Spring March – May

S Summer June – August

F Fall September – November

W Winter December – February

Relative Abundance

Relative abundance indicates how frequently you might

see a bird in its favored habitat.

a abundant a species which is very numerous

c common likely to be seen or heard in suitable habitat

u uncommon present, but not certain to be seen

o occasional seen only a few times during a season

r rare may be present, but not every year

Habitat Types (H)

f Forest, woodlands, thickets

w Wetlands (includes all bodies of water and fresh and salt 

water marshes)

m Meadows, fields

• Birds known to nest on or near the refuge.

Italics indicate federally threatened/endangered

species.

Sp S F W H

Loons

___ Red-throated Loon _________ o r r w

___ Common Loon_____________ o o o w

Grebes

___ •Pied-billed Grebe __________ o o u o w

___ Horned Grebe _____________ o o o w

Cormorants

___ Double-crested Cormorant ___ c c c u w

Introduction

Snow geese

Black-necked stilt
Bitterns – Herons

___ •American Bittern __________ o r u o w

___ •Least Bittern _____________ u u o w

___ Great Blue Heron __________ c c c c w/m

___ Great Egret _______________ a a c o w/m

___ Snowy Egret ______________ a a c r w/m

___ Little Blue Heron __________ u c c w

___ Tricolored Heron __________ o u o w

___ Cattle Egret ______________ o o o w/m

___ •Green-backed Heron _______ c c c w

___ Black-crowned Night-Heron_ c c c u w

___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron o u u w

Ibises

___ White Ibis ________________ r r w/m

___ Glossy Ibis ________________ a a c w/m

___ White-faced Ibis ___________ r w/m

Vultures

___ Black Vulture______________ u u u u f/m/w

___ Turkey Vulture ____________ c c c c f/m/w

Swans – Geese – Ducks

___ Greater White-fronted Goose r o o w/m

___ Snow Goose _______________ a o a a w/m

___ Ross' Goose _______________ r r r w/m

___ •Canada Goose _____________ a a a a w/m

___ Mute Swan________________ o o o o w/m

___ Tundra Swan ______________ u c u w/m

___ •Wood Duck________________ c a a o w/f

___ •Gadwall __________________ c c a u w

___ Eurasian Wigeon __________ r r r w

___ American Wigeon __________ c o c u w/m

___ •American Black Duck ______ c u c c w

Sp S F W H

Black duck

___ •Mallard __________________ a c a a w/m

___ •Blue-winged Teal __________ c u a w/m

___ •Northern Shoveler ________ a o a u w

___ Northern Pintail ___________ a o a a w

___ Green-winged Teal _________ a o a c w/m

___ Canvasback _______________ o o w

___ Redhead __________________ r r w

___ Ring-necked Duck _________ c u r w

___ Greater Scaup _____________ c c c w

___ Lesser Scaup______________ c a a w

___ Surf Scoter _______________ o u u w

___ White-winged Scoter _______ o o o w

___ Black Scoter ______________ o o o w

___ Long-tailed Duck __________ u o w

___ Bufflehead ________________ c c c w

___ Common Goldeneye ________ u u u w

___ Hooded Merganser_________ u r u u w

___ Common Merganser________ u o c w

___ Red-breasted Merganser____ u u u w

___ Ruddy Duck_______________ c u a a w

Osprey – Kites – Hawks – Eagles

___ •Osprey ___________________ u u u w/f

___•Bald Eagle _______________ u u u u w/f/m

___ •Northern Harrier __________ c o c c w/m

___ Sharp-shinned Hawk _______ c c u f/m

___ Cooper's Hawk ____________ u o u u f/m

___ •Red-shouldered Hawk _____ u o o o f/m

___ Broad-winged Hawk________ o o f/m

___ •Red-tailed Hawk___________ c c c c f/m/w

___ Rough-legged Hawk________ o o u f/w/m

___ Golden Eagle______________ r r f/m/w

Falcons

___ •American Kestrel __________ c o c c m/f

___ Merlin____________________ u u r w/f

___ Peregrine Falcon___________ u o u o w/f

Gallinaceous Birds

___ •Ring-necked Pheasant _____ c c c c m/f

___ •Wild Turkey_______________ u u u u m/f

___ •Northern Bobwhite ________ c c u u m/f

Sp S F W H
Rails

___ Yellow Rail ________________ r r w

___ Black Rail ________________ o o r w

___ •Clapper Rail ______________ c c c u w

___ •King Rail _________________ o o o r w

___ •Virginia Rail ______________ u u u o w

___ Sora _____________________ u o o w

___ •Common Moorhen _________ o u o r w

___ •American Coot ____________ u u u w

Plovers

___ Black-bellied Plover ________ c u c o w/m

___ American Golden-Plover ____ r r u m/w

___ Semipalmated Plover _______ a a c w/m

___ •Killdeer __________________ c c c u m/w

Oystercatchers

___ American Oystercatcher ____ r r w

Stilts – Avocets

___ •Black-necked Stilt__________ c c u w

___ American Avocet___________ a a a o w

Sandpipers

___ Greater Yellowlegs _________ a a a u w/m

___ Lesser Yellowlegs __________ a a a o w/m

___ Solitary Sandpiper _________ o u u w/m

___ •Willet ____________________ a a u w

___ Spotted Sandpiper _________ c c c w

___ Upland Sandpiper__________ r r m

___ Whimbrel _________________ r r r m/w

___ Hudsonian Godwit _________ o o w

___ Marbled Godwit ___________ r r w

___ Ruddy Turnstone __________ a u u w

___ Red Knot _________________ a o o w

___ Sanderling ________________ a u c o w

___ Semipalmated Sandpiper____ a a a w/m

___ Western Sandpiper_________ r a a r w/m

Sp S F W H

___ Least Sandpiper ___________ c c c r w/m

___ White-rumped Sandpiper ___ c u u w/m

___ Baird's Sandpiper __________ r r w/m

___ Pectoral Sandpiper _________ c c c r w/m

___ Dunlin____________________ a o a a w

___ Curlew Sandpiper__________ o o r w

___ Stilt Sandpiper ____________ u c c w

___ Buff-breasted Sandpiper ____ r r m/w

___ Ruff______________________ o o o w/m

___ Short-billed Dowitcher______ a a a w/m

___ Long-billed Dowitcher ______ c u a r w/m

___ Common Snipe ____________ u u u w/m

___ •American Woodcock _______ c u c o w/f

___ Wilson's Phalarope _________ o u o w

___ Red-necked Phalarope ______ o r w

Gulls – Terns – Skimmer

___ Laughing Gull _____________ a a a w/m

___ Black-headed Gull__________ r w

___ Bonaparte's Gull ___________ u r o u w

___ Ring-billed Gull____________ a c a a w/m

___ Herring Gull ______________ a a a a w/m

___ Lesser Black-backed Gull ___ r r o o w/m

___ Great Black-backed Gull ____ c c c c w/m

___ Gull-billed Tern ____________ o o w

___ Caspian Tern ______________ u u u w

___ Royal Tern ________________ r o w

___ Common Tern _____________ r r r w

___ •Forster's Tern _____________ c a c w

___ Least Tern ________________ o o o w

___ White-winged Tern_________ r w

___ Black Tern ________________ r o o w

___ Black Skimmer ____________ o u o w

Sp S F W H

Sanderlings

Woodcock
Doves

___ •Rock Dove _______________ u u u u m

___ •Mourning Dove ___________ c c a a m/f

Cuckoos

___ •Black-billed Cuckoo ________ o o o f

___ •Yellow-billed Cuckoo _______ c c u f

Barn Owls

___ •Barn Owl _________________ u u u u f

Typical Owls

___ •Eastern Screech-Owl ______ c c c c f

___ •Great Horned Owl _________ c c c c f

___ •Barred Owl _______________ c c c c f

___ Long-eared Owl ___________ r r f

___ Short-eared Owl ___________ o o u m/w

___ Northern Saw-whet Owl ____ r r r f

Nightjars

___ Common Nighthawk _______ r r f

___ Whip-poor-will_____________ o o f

Swifts

___ Chimney Swift_____________ u u u m

Hummingbirds

___ •Ruby-throated Hummingbird c c c f

Kingfishers

___ •Belted Kingfisher _________ c u c u w

Sp S F W H

Woodpeckers

___ Red-headed Woodpecker ____ r r r f

___ •Red-bellied Woodpecker ____ c c c c f

___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ____ o o o f

___ •Downy Woodpecker ________ c c c c f

___ •Hairy Woodpecker _________ u u u u f

___ •Northern Flicker __________ c c c c f

Tyrant Flycatchers

___ Olive-sided Flycatcher ______ r r f

___ •Eastern Wood-Pewee ______ c c c f

___ •Acadian Flycatcher ________ c c o f

___ Alder Flycatcher___________ r r f

___ •Willow Flycatcher _________ u u o f

___ Least Flycatcher___________ o o f

___ •Eastern Phoebe ___________ c u c r f

___ •Great Crested Flycatcher ___ c c u f

___ •Eastern Kingbird _________ c a c f/m

___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher ____ r f/m

Vireos

___ •White-eyed Vireo __________ c c c f

___ Blue-headed Vireo _________ o u f

___ Warbling Vireo ____________ r r f

___ Philadelphia Vireo _________ r f

___ •Yellow-throated Vireo ______ u o o f

___ •Red-eyed Vireo ____________ a a a f

Crows – Jays 

___ •Blue Jay _________________ a c a c f

___ •American Crow ___________ c c c u f

___ •Fish Crow ________________ c c c o f/w

Sp S F W H

Great horned

owl

Blue jay
Thrushes

___ •Eastern Bluebird __________ u u u u f/m

___ Veery ____________________ u r u f

___ Gray-cheeked Thrush ______ o o f

___ Bicknell's Thrush __________ o o f

___ Swainson's Thrush _________ u u f

___ Hermit Thrush ____________ c c u f

___ •Wood Thrush _____________ c c u f

___ •American Robin ___________ a c a c f/m

Mimic Thrushes

___ •Gray Catbird ______________ a c a o f

___ •Northern Mockingbird _____ c c c c f/m

___ •Brown Thrasher ___________ c c c o f

Starlings

___•European Starling _________ a a a a f/m/w

Wagtails – Pipits

___ American Pipit ____________ u u u m/w

Waxwings

___•Cedar Waxwing____________ c o c u f

Wood Warblers

___ Blue-winged Warbler _______ o o f

___ Golden-winged Warbler _____ r r f

___ Tennessee Warbler _________ o o f

___ Orange-Crowned Warbler ___ r r f

___ Nashville Warbler__________ o o f

___ Northern Parula ___________ c o c f

___ •Yellow Warbler ____________ c c u f

___ Chestnut-sided Warbler_____ c c f

___ Magnolia Warbler __________ c c f

___ Cape May Warbler _________ o o f

___ Black-throated Blue Warbler c c f

Larks

___ •Horned Lark ______________ u u u u m

Swallows

___ •Purple Martin ____________ c c o m/w

___ •Tree Swallow _____________ a a a r m/w

___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow u u u m/w

___ Bank Swallow _____________ c a u m/w

___ Cliff Swallow ______________ o o o m/w

___ •Barn Swallow _____________ c c c m/w

Titmice – Chickadees

___ •Carolina Chickadee ________ c c c c f

___ •Tufted Titmouse ___________ c c c c f

Nuthatches

___ Red-breasted Nuthatch _____ u u o f

___ White-breasted Nuthatch ___ o o o o f

Creepers

___ Brown Creeper ____________ u u u f

Wrens

___ •Carolina Wren ____________ c c c c f

___ •House Wren_______________ c c c r f

___ Winter Wren ______________ u u u f

___ •Sedge Wren ______________ o o o r w

___ •Marsh Wren ______________ c c c o w

Kinglets

___ Golden-crowned Kinglet ____ c c c f

___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet ______ c c u f

Old World Warblers – Gnatcatchers

___ •Blue-gray Gnatcatcher _____ c u o f

Sp S F W H Sp S F W H

Wren

Black-and-white

warbler
___ •Swamp Sparrow ___________ c c c c m/w

___ White-throated Sparrow ____ a a a f

___ White-crowned Sparrow ____ o o o f

___ Dark-eyed Junco___________ c c c f

___ Lapland Longspur _________ r o m

___ Snow Bunting _____________ o o m

Cardinals – Grosbeaks – Allies

___ •Northern Cardinal _________ c c c c f

___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak ____ u u f

___ •Blue Grosbeak ____________ u u u f

___ •Indigo Bunting ____________ c c u f/m

___ Dickcissel _________________ r r m

Blackbirds – Orioles

___ Bobolink__________________ o c a m

___ •Red-winged Blackbird ______ a a a a f/m/w

___ •Eastern Meadowlark _______ u u u u m

___ Rusty Blackbird ___________ u u u f/w

___ Boat-tailed Grackle_________ o o c u w/m

___ •Common Grackle __________ a a a a f/m

___ •Brown-headed Cowbird ____ c c c u f/m

___ •Orchard Oriole ____________ c c o f

___ •Baltimore Oriole ___________ u u o f

___ Yellow-rumped Warbler _____ a a c f

___ Black-throated Green Warbler c c f

___ Blackburnian Warbler ______ u u f

___ Pine Warbler ______________ o o o f

___ Prairie Warbler ____________ u r o f

___ Palm Warbler______________ c c r f

___ Bay-breasted Warbler ______ o o f

___ Blackpoll Warbler __________ c u f

___ Cerulean Warbler __________ r f

___ Black-and-white Warbler____ c o c f

___ •American Redstart ________ c o c f

___ •Prothonotary Warbler ______ o o r f/w

___ Worm-eating Warbler_______ o r f

___ Ovenbird _________________ c u u f

___ Northern Waterthrush______ u r u f/w

___ •Louisiana Waterthrush _____ o o o f/w

___ •Kentucky Warbler _________ u u o f

___ Connecticut Warbler _______ r f

___ Mourning Warbler _________ o o f

___ •Common Yellowthroat ______ a a c o f/w

___ Hooded Warbler ___________ r r r f

___ Wilson's Warbler ___________ o o f

___ Canada Warbler ___________ c o o f

___ •Yellow-breasted Chat _______ u u u r f

Tanagers

___ Summer Tanager __________ o f

___ •Scarlet Tanager ___________ c c u f

Sparrows – Towhees

___ •Eastern Towhee ___________ c c c u f

___ American Tree Sparrow_____ o o u f

___ •Chipping Sparrow _________ u u u r f/m

___ •Field Sparrow _____________ c c c u f/m

___ Savannah Sparrow ________ a a u f/w

___ •Grasshopper Sparrow ______ o u o r m

___ Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow u u o w/m

___•Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow u u u o w

___ •Seaside Sparrow __________ a a c o w

___ Fox Sparrow ______________ u u u f

___ •Song Sparrow _____________ a c a a f

Sp S F W H Sp S F W H

Red-winged blackbird
Finches

___ Purple Finch ______________ o o o f

___ •House Finch ______________ u u u u f

___ Common Redpoll __________ r r f

___ Pine Siskin________________ r o r f

___ •American Goldfinch ________ a c a c f

___ Evening Grosbeak _________ r r r f

Old World Sparrows

___ •House Sparrow ___________ u u u u f

NOTES

Location __________________________________________

Date _____________________ Time _________________

Observers _________________________________________

Weather __________________________________________

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Goldfinch

Sparrow

Sp S F W H

This brochure was partially funded by Friends of 

Bombay Hook, Inc.